Carpets produced from synthetic or natural fibers and mixtures thereof are commonly used in residential and commercial applications as a floor covering. Various types of fibers can be used in making carpets such as polyamide fibers, polyester fibers as well as wool, cotton or even silk in the case of rugs.
However, carpets, irrespective of whether they are made from natural or synthetic fibers, are all prone to soiling and staining when contacted with many household items. Foods, grease, oils, beverages in particular such as coffee, tea and soft drinks especially those containing acidic dyes can cause unsightly, often dark stains on carpets. Also fibers may become soiled as a result of dirt particles, clay, dust, particulate soils in general, coming into contact with and adhering to the fibers of the carpet. These latter soils often appear in the form of a diffuse layer of soils rather than in the form of spots and tend to accumulate particularly in the so called "high traffic areas" such as near doors as a result of intensive use of the carpets in such areas.
There are a number of carpet cleaning compositions described in the art for removing stains and soils. However, these compositions do not satisfactorily meet the consumer's needs regarding their stain removal performance on different types of stains and soils. Indeed, these carpet cleaning compositions are not fully satisfactory on removing particulate stains and/or greasy stains, especially in the so called "high traffic areas".
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide improved stains removal from carpets, in a manner which is applicable to a variety of carpet cleaning compositions, i.e. compositions being either in a liquid form or in a powder form or in a granular form.
It has now been found that the above object can be met by formulating compositions which comprise a salicylic acid or derivatives thereof according to the following formula: ##STR2## wherein X is carbon, Y is one of the following groups --CHO, --OH, --(CH2)n--COOH and wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 20 and a compound selected from the group consisting of amine oxide surfactants according to the formula R1R2R3NO, wherein each of R1, R2 and R3 is independently a saturated substituted or unsubstituted, linear or branched alkyl group of from 1 to 30 carbon atoms, soil suspending polycarboxylate polymers, soil suspending polyamine polymers, hydroxy-pyridine N oxides and derivatives thereof chelating agents, and mixtures thereof. Indeed, such a composition allows to obtain excellent particulate stains removal performance especially on diffuse layers of stains and/or soils which occur in the so called "high traffic areas", i.e. on stains and/or soils which have become otherwise extremely difficult to remove. More particularly, it has been found that the combination of salicylic acid or derivatives thereof or mixtures thereof with a compound selected from the group consisting of amine oxide surfactants, soil suspending polycarboxylate polymers, soil suspending polyamine polymers, hydroxy-pyridine-N-oxides and derivatives thereof, chelating agents, and mixtures thereof, results in a synergistic effect on the removal of particulate stains and/or greasy stains from carpets. Furthermore, said combination is particularly suitable to be used in liquid carpet cleaning compositions which further comprise a source of active oxygen, thereby providing not only improved particulate and/or greasy stains removal performance but also improved stains removal on bleachable stains, as compared to the same compositions without said salicylic acid or derivatives thereof, or to the same compositions without said compound selected from the group consisting of amine oxide surfactants, soil suspending polycarboxylate polymers, soil suspending polyamine polymers, hydroxy-pyridine-N-oxides and derivatives thereof, chelating agents, and mixtures thereof.
An advantage of the present invention is that it is applicable to all carpet types, especially delicate natural fibers and is also safe to all carpet dye types, particularly sensitive natural dyes used therein. The compositions of the present invention are also suitable to be used to clean upholstery and car seats covering.
Another advantage of the compositions of the present invention is that they may be applied directly on the carpet without causing damage to the carpet. In addition the cleaning action of the invention commences as soon as the carpet cleaning composition has been applied to the surface. Indeed, the use of the carpet cleaning compositions of the present invention does not necessarily require rubbing or/and brushing of the carpet.
The following documents are representative of the prior art available on carpet cleaning compositions.
WO 92/17634 discloses a method for removing stains from carpet fibers which consists of applying an alkaline solution (pH=7 to 10.5) to said carpet, said solution resulting from mixing just prior use of a solution of a source of active oxygen with a solution of ammonium bicarbonate or carbonate and fluorinated alkyl sulfonic acid or its coordinated salt. This patent application nowhere mentions salicylic acid or derivatives thereof, soil suspending polycarboxylate or polyamine polymers, hydroxy pyridine N oxide, or amine oxide surfactants.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,607,760 discloses an aqueous carpet cleaner particularly suitable for removing pet stains, said carpet cleaner comprising hydrogen peroxide, hydrocarbon ether of ethylene or diethylene glycols, hydrocarbon monohydric alcohols and EDTA. No salicylic acid or derivatives thereof are disclosed.
EP-A-346 835 discloses an aqueous carpet cleaner at pH 7-12 comprising a water-soluble alcohol (C1-C5) and an oxidizing agent (hydrogen peroxide). No salicylic acid or derivatives thereof are described.
EP-A-629 694 discloses the use of stable aqueous compositions comprising a source of active oxygen, having a pH of from 1 to 6, for the cleaning of carpets. No salicylic acid or derivatives thereof are disclosed.
PCT patent application number US95/13995 discloses a method of cleaning a carpet wherein a composition comprising a chelating agent in combination with a soil suspending polycarboxylate or polyamine polymer is applied to said carpet. Salicylic acid or derivatives thereof are not disclosed therein.